Lesson Report:
**Title:**
The End of the Cold War and the Unipolar Moment
**Synopsis:**
This session focused on wrapping up the historical discussion of U.S. foreign policy by examining the fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as the world’s sole superpower. The class explored key factors contributing to the Soviet collapse, including economic stagnation, internal political reforms, and external pressures. The discussion then transitioned into the “unipolar moment,” during which the U.S. played an uncontested role in shaping global affairs, only to have that dominance challenged by the events of September 11, 2001.
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### **Attendance:**
– No students explicitly mentioned as absent.
– Hamdan attended remotely and participated in discussions.
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### **Topics Covered:**
#### **Paper Check-in and Guidance**
– Students briefly discussed their topics for the upcoming role-play reflection paper.
– Key reminders:
– Papers should focus on one crucial foreign policy decision from a specific moment in time.
– International relations theory should be incorporated from the perspective of the chosen historical figure.
– Citation of theoretical texts is required, even if not explicitly named in the analysis.
#### **Comparison of Kennan and Reagan on the Soviet Union**
– Quick review of last class’s discussion on George Kennan’s *Sources of Soviet Conduct* and Ronald Reagan’s *Evil Empire Speech*:
– Kennan: Geopolitical analysis of Soviet containment, framed in realist terms.
– Reagan: Moral and ideological confrontation, framing the Soviet Union as an evil to be defeated.
– This set the foundation for examining how U.S. policymakers framed foreign policy choices.
#### **The Fall of the Soviet Union: Causes and Consequences**
**Internal Factors:**
– Economic decline and stagnation leading to loss of Soviet industrial competitiveness, especially in technology and computing.
– Gorbachev’s reforms:
– **Perestroika** – Economic restructuring intended to modernize the Soviet economy, but ineffective due to centralized control.
– **Glasnost** – Political openness allowing criticism of government, leading to greater public dissatisfaction.
– Failed coup against Gorbachev in 1991, after which Boris Yeltsin took power.
**External Factors:**
– Soviet military overextension, particularly in Afghanistan, which drained financial and human resources.
– U.S. intervention via *Operation Cyclone*, supporting Mujahedeen fighters to counter the Soviet presence in Afghanistan.
– Rise of nationalist movements in Baltic states and Eastern Europe leading to fragmentation of Soviet control.
#### **The Unipolar Moment and U.S. Foreign Policy in the 1990s**
**Key Characteristics of the Era:**
– U.S. emerged as the uncontested global superpower after the Cold War.
– Francis Fukuyama’s *End of History* argued that liberal democracy had won as the superior system.
– U.S. policymakers operated with a sense of confidence in their ability to shape global events.
**Major U.S. Foreign Policy Actions:**
– **Gulf War (1991):**
– Iraq invaded Kuwait; U.S. led a successful UN-backed military intervention.
– Established a precedent for U.S. military dominance and interventionism post-Cold War.
– **NATO Expansion:**
– Former Soviet bloc countries sought integration with the West, leading to Russian resentment.
– **U.S. Intervention in the Balkans:**
– Clinton administration involved in conflicts in Yugoslavia, including military intervention in Kosovo and Bosnia.
**Reflections on Continuity and Change:**
– **Continuity:**
– U.S. interventionist approach remained a key feature of foreign policy.
– Persistent ideological promotion of liberal democracy and free markets.
– **Change:**
– U.S. became the world’s unchallenged global leader for the first time.
– Shift from focusing on countering a global rival (USSR) to engaging in regional conflicts.
#### **Setting the Stage for the 2000s: Rise of New Global Tensions**
– Discussion concluded with how the overconfidence of the unipolar moment contributed to tensions that would later manifest in major conflicts.
– The 9/11 attacks marked the abrupt end of U.S. global optimism, shifting priorities toward counterterrorism and new security threats.
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### **Actionable Items:**
#### **Paper Assignments (Due March 5, 2024)**
– Ensure students refine their paper topics with specific decision-makers and key foreign policy events.
– Clarify expectations regarding the use of international relations theory.
#### **Readings for Next Class** *(Medium Urgency)*
– Students were assigned two readings on e-course related to U.S. foreign policy post-9/11.
– Emphasis on understanding the key arguments rather than reading in exhaustive detail.
#### **Next Class: Introduction to the Post-9/11 Era** *(High Urgency)*
– Topic: How the 9/11 terrorist attacks ended the unipolar moment and reshaped U.S. foreign policy.
– Planned activities:
– Seminar discussion on post-9/11 challenges.
– Examining how non-state actors disrupted traditional power politics.
– Connection to themes of continuity and change in U.S. foreign policy.
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This summary should provide a comprehensive view of the session, ensuring continuity in lesson planning while tracking student progress and key themes.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK. No explicit homework assignments were given during the lesson, aside from a general reminder about upcoming readings on eCourse, which students were encouraged (but not explicitly required) to review before the next class.